Apparatus for testing intestines



June 9, 1942. F. G. LEAVENWORTH 2,286,172

' APPARATUS FOR TESTING INTESTINES Original Filed Sept. 23, 1937 7% pmmm 16% w a WW UH a %0@ WW Patented June 9, 1942 UNlTED STATES PAT TQFI'CE APPARATUS FOR TESTING INTESTINES Original application September23, 1937, Serial No. 165,329. Divided and this application December 26,1939, Serial No. 310,993

6 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for inspect ing intestines used forsausage casings.

In preparing animal intestines for use as sausage casings, it isdesirable to inspect the casings while inflated with a liquid, such aswater, to locate any defective spots or leaks so that the defectiveportions may be cut therefrom.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus whichincludes means for looping the extended or inflated casing so thatdefective spots may be readily discerned by the inspector as the casingis fed past the inspector or to a diameter-measuring device. The presentapplication is a division of an application filed by me September 23,1937, Serial No. 165,329, now Patent No. 2,187,790. 7

' Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at theconclusion hereof.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section throughthe core on which the inspected casing is fed. Fig. 4 is a section takenon line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig, 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The invention is exemplified in apparatus comprising a table 2|] onwhich the inspecting device is mounted. The casings to be inspected aretaken from atank 2|, in which the casings are usually submerged inbrine, adjacent one end of the table. From tank 2| the casings arepassed over an arched guide 24, which is preferably formed of aresilient plate; has one of its sides fixed to the receiving-end oftable 26; and is provided with guide-pins 25 projecting from its upperface. Guide 24 is resilient to permit it to yield in the event a casingbecomes tangled in tank 2| so as to prevent it from being torn.

The leading end of a casing a is manually placed on a hollow. core 21.This core is formed of a hollow tube, one end of which is secured in afitting 28. Said fitting is secured in the upper end of a pipe-standard29 which is supported in a vertically and pivotally movable support 31.The free end of core 21 is adapted to receive and fit into the leadingend of a casing when it is manually placed thereon. A flexiblewater-supply-pipe 3D is connected to the lower end of pipestandard 29for delivering water through core 21 into and to distend or inflate thefree end of the casing between the core 21 and guide 24. Pipestandard 29is provided with a valve 3| for controlling the delivery of water intothe casing and the rotatable member of this valve is provided with ahandle 32. By means of this water connection, the inspector, after theleading end of the casing has been placed on core 21, can, by depressinghandle 32, discharge water in sufiicient quantities to distend theportion of the casing between the core 21 and guide 24 for inspectionpurposes.

A pair of coacting feed-rolls 33 and 34 are adapted to engage the casingaround core 21 and string it onto the core. Each of these feed-rolls isprovided with an annular concave groove 35 to fit around the sides ofthe core and formed of material such as sponge-rubber, to frictionallyengage the casing and advance it onto the core while the feed-rolls arein engagement with the casing.

Support 31 is vertically movable so that the core may be lowered intothe horizontal plane of the grooves 35 in rolls 33, 34, for feeding thecasing onto the core and so that the core may be raised above the planeof the-feed-rolls where it will be free to swing laterally to permit theremoval of the casing from the core. A sleeve 40, fixed to support 31,is slidable' on a standard 4| which is mounted on a bracket 42, which isfixed to table 20. Support 31 is pivoted for a limited horizontalswinging movement on standard 4| so that the core can be swung forwardlyinto a position which permits the casing to be readily stripped from thecore.

Means for lowering the support 31 to bring core 21 into and out ofoperative relation with feed-rolls 33, 34 comprises a lever which isfulcrumed at 65 and provided with a forked abutment 31 for engagingsupport 21 to force it downwardly, a pedal 68, and a link 63 betweensaid pedal and lever 65. A spring 19 is applied to hold the tablenormally raised and lift it when pedal 68 is released by the operator.When sup-. port 31 and the core 21 are to be lowered, the operator willdepress pedal 68 and, when the pedal is released, support 31 will berestored to its raised position by spring 10.

Each feed-roll is fixed to a Vertical shaft 14. Shafts 14 are journaledin brackets 16, respectively, which are adapted to swing horizontally onvertical drive shafts 15 to permit the feedrolls to be moved apartlaterally to clear and permit the vertical movement of the core andintestine thereon. A spring 6|) between brackets 16 is provided to pressthe feed-rolls against the casing on core 21. When the brackets 16 arefree to be swung inwardly by spring and the Said gearing is connected todrive both vertical 4 shaft on which brackets 16 are pivoted. Shafts 14are driven from shafts 15, respectively, by a belt-pulley H, a belt 19,and a belt-pulley I8. This mechanism drives the feed-rolls continuouslyand permits them to be spread apart so the core and intestine, whilebeing lowered to the operative plane of the rolls and raised intoinoperative position, can pass between the rolls.

The feed-rolls are automatically spread apart when the core is raisedand released so they will be moved together by spring 89 when the coreis in its lowered position, by inclined cams 8!, 82 on brackets 16,respectively, which are engaged by lever 65, as said lever is movedupwardly to raise the core 2! and released when the lever is lowered. Aslever 65 is raised, the feed-rolls will be initially spread apart bysaid lever and cams 8|, B2 and while the lever remains raised the rollswill be held apart by the upper straight portions of cams BI, 82.

A drum or guide-member 45 is journaled on a horizontal shaft 45 which issupported above table 20 by a standard 48. This drum extends across thevertical plane through which the casing is fed between guide 24 and core21. The front end of the drum is free to permit a casing to be wrappedaround and placed endwise on or removed from the drum. The portion ofthe casing between core 21 and guide 24 is folded into a loop and placedonto the drum from the free front end thereof. As the result of loopingthe casing around the drum, the top area of the portions of the casingbetween the drum and guide 24 and between the drum and the core, will bevisible to the inspector from above and the under area of said portionof the casing will be inverted as it passes over the drum so it willalso be readily visible to the inspector from above as the casing is fedonto the core. The water in the casing will keep it inflated while it ispassing around the drum. Preferably, the drum is rotatable. Thisexemplifies means around which the casing may be looped for convenientinspection of the upper and lower sides thereof as it is being advancedby the feed-rolls. The drum is an exemplification of such means,although it will be understood that in some instances a polishednonrotatable member over which the inflated casing will readily slip,may be used, in lieu of the rotatable drum.

The operation of the apparatus will be as follows: The leading end of anintestine a from tank 2| will be laid over guide 24, looped around drum45, and drawn onto the core 21 so it will be disposed between thevertical plane of the feed-rolls. Valve 3! will then be opened to fillthe intestine with water and inflate the portion between the core andguide 24, including the loop around the drum. Valve 3| will then beclosed. While lever 65 is raised, it will engage cams 8!, 82 on brackets85 and hold the feedrolls spread apart so that the core can be loweredbetween them. The inspector will next depress pedal 68 to swing lever 65downwardly and lower support 3'! and core 21, so that the latter will bedisposed in the horizontal plane of the grooves 35 in the feed-rolls.During the last portion of the downward movement of lever 65, it willrelease cams 8|, 82 and render the spring effective to press brackets 16and the shafts 14 together so that the feed-rolls will yieldingly gripthe casing on the core. The feed-rolls will be operated continuously sothat as soon as they are in engagement with the casing it will be strungonto the core. As the casing is advanced over the table and around drum45 any defects or leaks in substantially all portions of the casing willbe visible to the inspector. When the inspector discovers a defectiveportion in the casing, he will release pedal 68 to raise the core andrender the feed-rolls ineffective as the defective portion reaches apoint adjacent knife 50. He will then pinch the casing at the ends ofthe defective portion and sever it from the remainder of the casing.When this has been done, the leading end of the portion of the casingfrom drum 45 will be strung onto the core sufficiently to be engaged bythe feed-rolls. The pedal 68 will then be again depressed to completethe inspection of the remainder of the casing. When the inspection hasbeen completed the pedal 68 will be released to raise the core so thatit can be swung laterally into convenient position for the removal ofthe inspected casing from the core.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for inspecting intestines, the combination of means fordelivering fluid into and distending the intestine, means for advancingthe intestine for inspection of successive portions thereof, and anelement around which an inflated portion of theintestine can be loopedto render opposite sides thereof visible as it is being advanced by theadvancing means, said element being supported at one end and free at itsother end for the placement of the loop of the intestine on and itsremoval from the element.

2. In apparatus for inspecting intestines, the combination of means fordelivering fluid into and distending the intestine, means for advancingthe intestine for inspection of successive portions thereof, androtatable means for holding a loose portion of the intestine in the formof a loop while it is being advanced to render opposite sides thereofvisible as it is being advanced by the advancing means, said holdingmeans being rotatable by contact with the intestine.

3. In apparatus for inspecting intestines, the combination of a hollowcore, means for feeding the intestine onto the core, means fordelivering fluid into the core for inflating the intestine, and ahorizontally extending element around which an inflated portion of theintestine can be looped to render opposite sides thereof visible as itis being fed onto the core, said element having one of its ends free sothe intestine can be looped around and removed from the element.

4. In apparatus for inspecting intestines, the combination of aVertically movable core adapted to have the intestine strung thereon,means for delivering fluid into the core for inflating the intestine,co-acting rolls for feeding the intestine onto the core, and mounted topermit them to be spread apart laterally to receive the core betweenthem, means for driving the rolls, means for raising and lowering thecore, and means controlled by the core raising and lowering means forshifting the feed-rolls laterally.

5. In apparatus for inspecting intestines, the combination of avertically movable core adapted to have the intestine strung thereon,means for delivering fluid into the core for inflating the intestine,laterally movable co-acting rolls for feeding the intestine onto thecore, a spring for pressing the rolls against the core, and permittingthem to be spread apart to receive the core between them, means fordriving the rolls, means for raising and lowering the core, and meanscontrolled by the raising and lowering means for the core, for spreadingthe feed-rolls against the force of the spring.

6. In apparatus for inspecting intestines, the combination of avertically movable core adapted to have the intestine strung thereon,means for delivering fluid into the core for inflating the intestine,co-acting rolls for feeding the intestine onto the core, bracketspivoted to swing laterally and on which the rolls are mounted to permitthem to be spread apart to receive the core be tween them, means fordriving the rolls, means for raising and lowering the core, spring-meansfor pressing the brackets together, and means controlled by the raisingand lowering means for the core, for spreading the brackets andfeedrolls apart.

FRANK G. LEAVENWORTH.

